So says a U-M study that looks at whether it’s best to start regular screening at 40 or 50.

Young people who are overexposed to antibacterial soaps containing triclosan may suffer more allergies, a U-M study suggests. It also found that exposure to BPA may cause health problems for adults.

“Americans have long been viewed as exceptionally religious compared to other nations in the developed world,” says a U-M researcher. But new findings suggest that Americans might not actually attend church as often as they say they do.

Parents and doctors should educate themselves and be cautious about the frequent use of these diagnostic tests for kids.

The right material wrapped around your car’s exhaust system could one day scavenge heat that would otherwise be wasted, turning it into energy to warm the cabin or recharge the battery. That’s the work being done by U-M scientists using materials with the peculiar name skutterudites.

Does your hometown display mostly “head” strengths, like intellect and creativity? Or is it more of a “heart” city, emphasizing social ties and kindness? U-M researchers Christopher Peterson and Nansook Park, who study the components of a meaningful life, say that many cities tend in one direction or another—and that affects citizens’ happiness, affluence and even politics.

You can improve your mental function simply by having conversations…but the tenor of the talking makes a difference. Turns out a friendly conversation helps, but once you turn competitive, the benefits dissolve.

It’s an invention that could counter terrorist threats. A table-top gamma-ray detector created at U-M can not only identify the presence of dangerous nuclear materials, but can pinpoint and show their exact location and type, unlike conventional detectors which are not able to be as specific. Includes video.

When female monarchs are sick, they find plant “medicine” that will reduce infections in their offspring. Infected female butterflies prefer to lay their eggs on certain milkweed plants that will make their offspring less sick, suggesting that monarchs have evolved the ability to medicate their offspring.